Family Matters: Governor Cuomo Unveils an Ambitious Plan for Paid Family Leave and a Higher Minimum Wage in New York

On April 4, 2016, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law paid family leave and statewide increases to the minimum wage, making New York the fourth state to guarantee paid family leave and one of a number of states gradually increasing the minimum wage. The paid family leave law will be funded by additional employee-side payroll deductions and will go into effect in 2018. The minimum wage law will increase New York’s minimum wage beginning at the end of 2016, with increases each year thereafter until the minimum wage reaches $15 across the state.